Bluest Light
by tatertots370
Summary: Anna comes back to Newport and finds out that there's more to opposites attract than she knew. Kind of AU, explained in the AN. After The Brothers Grim. ZachAnna. SethSummer.


**_Bluest Light-_**

**One: Ex Squared**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any rights to the characters, _The OC, _or Micheal Cassidy's hair, although I love them all. Especially the pretty hair. Don't own any rights to Bloc Party or Coldplay either.

**A/N: **Okay, so this is sort of a funky A/U. After "The Brothers Grim" in terms of Seth/Summer/Zach. With everyone else, I'm not really sure what I'm doing with them yet. Ryan will probably be single or with Marissa, but they don't really matter yet (sorry!). Zach's still the nice!Zach, instead of the Asswipe!Zach. There's a big difference. The title is from Bloc Party. I'm not completely sure where I'm taking this, but I know there's Seth/Summer and Zach/Anna. It was originally a drabble request from **therocklobster **that was:

_Zach/Anna_

**And he thinks to himself, How could Seth have ever given this up?  
**  
Please include bubbles (the blowing kind:D), Zach using hair care products and Anna loving the color pink :D  


* * *

"_All you ever wanted is love,  
But you never looked hard enough  
__It's never gonna give itself up  
All you ever wanted to be living in perfect symmetry  
Nothing is as down or as up  
You see the world in black and white  
No pain, no right_"  
-Coldplay, "Low"

Zach knows he isn't gay. He's straight. He's 110 straight. But, okay, he's in a funk. He's had, like, three dreams in a row about Seth. And Summer. And they involved kissing…and touching…and somethings that, being a virgin, he hasn't experienced.

Which makes it all too awkward when Zach sees them making out in front of Seth's locker (which happens to be next to Zach's). It makes him a little hard, and Zach turns a faint shade of pink before scurrying into the bathroom.

* * *

"Cohen?" Summer asks, looking up at her boyfriend, "you should talk to him."

Seth kisses Summer on the mouth again, and replies, "Summer, you know I love talking, but I love kissing you more. Who's this _him _anyways?"

Summer swats Seth on his shoulder.

"Cohen! Your _friend_, Zach. He totally saw us kissing and then ran off. It probably hurt, you know?" Summer explains, slightly annoyed with Seth's obliviousness.

Seth starts running his hand up and down the small of Summer's back absent-mindedly. "You're the one that he dated, don't you think it'd be better if you were the one that talked to him?" he questions.

Summer sighs. "I can't."

"Why? It'd be too much or something?" Seth asks.

Summer shakes her head. "He went into the boys' bathroom."

* * *

Zachs sits on the stall, confused. His erection hasn't died down and he's trying to answer all the questions he has about himself.

If he's straight, and Summer's hot, it's okay to get turned on by her, right? _Yes. _

But she was making out with a _guy_ and he got turned on, does that make sense? _Um…_

And this guy was Cohen. Does that mean Zach likes Cohen? _Not that I'm aware of._

So, Zach still's straight, right? Just because he uses Axios For Men and Slatkin Body Therapy to keep his hair shiny and, he admits, he enjoyed a pedicure in Italy (to his mother's request), doesn't mean he plays for the other team, yes? _Yes? _

Or is it both teams? _Damn it, I don't fucking know!_

Zach hears the bathroom door open and close. A pair of black Chucks walk to the stall he's in. Oh, shit, Cohen.

"Hey, man, you okay?"

Zach's hands are a little shaky. His face feels hot and he immediately thinks of everything non-sexy in the universe.

"Yeah, yeah, fine, dude," he replies.

"Look, I'm really sorry that me and Summer…I remember when I came back from Portland and saw her with you. And I know, I know I said I was okay after a while but it still hurt. I get having a history with someone, I get history. We learn all about history in American Civ, and it's tough…" Seth rambles on.

_Lasagna. The Iron Chef. Moshpits. Sandwiches. Zombies. Cohen! Cohen! **Cohen!**_

Zach smiles. Well, the erection's gone and he definitely doesn't have any…_minty_ feelings for guys. Or Cohen, at least.

"So, if you feel uncomfortable around us the best thing to do is say something, man. Leading a life of quiet desperations sucks ass, and I don't want you doing that," Seth finishes as Zach exits the stall.

He pats Zach on the shoulder, "We're cool?"

"Yeah, of course," Zach answers nervously.

"Let's go. School's coming to a close and we've got comic book things to attend to," Seth says.

* * *

Anna nervously runs her fingers along her notebook. She registered at Harbor for the third trimester of her Junior year. She's back in Newport and back at Harbor.

When Anna came to visit her parents for Christmas break, they dropped hints anywhere possible about Anna spending time with them before she went off to college. Each was merely answered with a smile or kiss on the cheek and a reassurance that they weren't loosing their little girl. Anna flew back to Pittsburgh, back to her aunt and uncle, and thought nothing of it. Her parents always had that stereotypical "our-little-girl-is-growing-up" thing ever since she was eleven and graduated fourth grade.

She thought a little bit more of it when they called her and told her where she lived wasn't up to her anymore. She was living in California and it wasn't her choice. Anna screamed at her parents through the phone lines for about an hour when she slammed the phone down and sobbed and complained pretty much until she landed in California. Then she made the best of it.

Anna hasn't called Seth, Summer, or anyone she knew at Harbor. Weirdly, it never crossed her mind. She and Summer Instant-Messaged occasionally, and Seth and her swapped e-mails about once a week.

Anna knows about the Portland and Chino drama. She knows about Marissa's newfound bisexuality (and the fact that she had been dating Seth's ex -- something Anna knew would only happen in Newport). She knows that Ryan's troublemaker brother Trey is in town. She knows that Seth and Summer had reunited, and that Summer's new (ex) boyfriend had been left at the airport, had a floppy haircut, was a preppy water polo player, and loved comic books.

Anna spots Summer down the hall and everything comes rushing to her head. Where did she fit in now? This was the part she hadn't been looking forward to.

"Oh my God! Anna freaking Stern!" Summer shrieks, racing down the hall in her two-inch heels to clobber Anna.

Anna giggles a little and hugs back.

"So, what the fuck? You're here! In Newport!" Summer exclaims, Anna realizing just how loud such a tiny girl can be.

"Yeah, my parents decided that I needed to be with them so…I'm here!" she responds.

Summer does a little jump and embraces Anna again.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Summer asks, her tone demanding an answer.

Anna shrugs and gives a guilty grin. "Surprise!"

* * *

Seth and Zach can hear Summer's yell from the bathroom. In response, Seth races out of the bathroom, leaving a slightly, yet again, confused Zach to trail behind.

Seth practically sprints down the hall and gives Anna a bear hug.

"Anna!" he greets.

Zach stands next to Summer, whose still smiling, and watches. This is Anna Stern. The short, cute blonde who dresses in bright colors, likes emo like Seth, and also knows what it's like to be the third in a Seth-Summer triangle.

Seth releases Anna from their hug and she explains her new stay in Newport to him and undirected to Zach.

She eyes him and smiles. She adds up the polo and the perfectly coiffed hair.

And holds out her hand to shake his. "Anna Stern."

Zach shakes back and smiles. "Zach Stephens."

* * *

**_tee bee cee!_**


End file.
